This post was updated Oct. 22 at 11:08 p.m.
Rain at UCLA this week left students skipping lectures, trudging through flooding on campus and frantically searching for umbrellas.
Wednesday marked the first rainy day of the 2026-27 academic year. A heavy rain season is predicted to come to Southern California this year as a strong El Niño weather pattern sets in, according to ABC7.
Shauda Hossain, a fourth-year business economics and political science student who works at the front desk in Rieber Hall, said she typically uses a scooter to get around campus but walks on rainy days because of slippery roads.
Wednesday’s rain became an obstacle for her to get to work, Hossain said, adding that she missed two lectures and a discussion because of the weather.
“The buses usually take you up to Ackerman, so it’s really hard to get around,” she said.
Floods in Los Angeles often slow down public transportation, Hossain said. She added that she wished her classes offered a hybrid option on rainy days.
[Related: UCLA campus experiences flooding, facility closures from record rainfall]
Hossain said she and her roommates cancelled dinner plans yesterday because the restaurant was 10 minutes away, but they had no car available and didn’t want to arrive soaked.
Victoria Rose, the manager of the Makerspace on the Hill, said minor flooding occurred near Rendezvous and Olympic Hall.
“There was a little river of water, and then one of the scooters scooted past me, and it was like one of those movies where the water sprayed me,” they said.
The Makerspace lends umbrellas and assists with shoe and umbrella repairs, Rose said.
Many UCLA walkways are slippery in the rain, which can be hazardous for students walking or scootering throughout campus, Hossain added.
“For entertainment, it’s amazing, but it makes simple, tedious tasks like going to class just a little bit more challenging,” said Lucia Mochel, a second-year mechanical engineering student.
UCLA could help students better prepare for rainy days by improving their marketing strategy to raise awareness of umbrella check-outs, Mochel said.
Mochel said she enjoys the rain and one of her favorite memories from freshman year is trash bagging down the hill by Janss Steps, where students wear trash bags and apply soap to slide down grassy areas. She added that she enjoys running during rainy days instead of in 100-degree weather.
“If it rains or if it’s super hot outside, and you’re so hot that you need a break for water and you stop into a dining hall you don’t normally go to, maybe you’ll meet someone you don’t normally see,” Rose said. “A break from a routine that is weather-dependent can be a fun roll of the dice.”
Comments are closed.